


Underworld Blues

by voidfoxstarlight



Category: Polygon Cyberpunk Campaign, Polygon/McElroy Vlogs & Podcasts RPF, Ulysses Dies at Dawn - The Mechanisms (Album)
Genre: Gen, its not actually rpf but theres no official tag for their cyberpunk shennanigans sooooo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:13:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25669498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/voidfoxstarlight/pseuds/voidfoxstarlight
Summary: H4des makes deals with three inhabitants of Night City.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	Underworld Blues

**Author's Note:**

> Title from the eponymous song by The Mechanisms.  
> Inspired by [this tumblr post](https://funkypicklesalsa.tumblr.com/post/624833432323751936/ulysses-dies-at-dawns-ulysses-heracles-and).

Vang0 taps the edge of his agent in a nonsense pattern—no pattern at all, really, just antsy fingers dispelling nervous energy. And _boy_ does he have a lot of nervous energy. Anyone would, he figures, in this situation.

If he were anywhere else, he would probably have started streaming by now and let that energy out through nonstop commentary. Here, though, he gets the feeling that that would be received less than wonderfully. Making a bad first impression is pretty much the opposite of his goal, so he just keeps tapping.

His eyes dart around the room, carefully avoiding eye contact with the guards on either side of the entrance to the throne room. They’re both wearing dark glasses, so he can’t tell if they’re looking at him or not. Maybe the guards are just there to draw attention away from the cameras hidden all throughout the room. Would that be overkill? Maybe. But Vang0 had seen more precautions for less.

One of the guards clears their throat. “H4des will see you now.”

Both guards step to the side and the door hisses open.

Vang0 can’t tell how they know to let him in—he didn’t see a signal of any kind, nor are they wearing earpieces—but he ignores the urge to find out.

“Thanks,” he says, and enters the room. The door closes behind him with another hiss.

The throne room is brighter than he’d been expecting. Lines of fluorescent lights run across the ceiling, making it brighter than most buildings Vang0 frequents nowadays. It’s more unsettling than darkness would be. 

H4des sits upon their throne, which is pure obsidian and blacker than the dust under the most travelled highway of Night City. It almost looks like it has stripes of white on it, until Vang0 realises it’s so polished it’s reflecting the lights overhead. The red of H4des’s hair and pantsuit provides the only colour in the room.

“So,” says H4des. “You’ve got a petition for me.”

Vang0 startles. “Oh, I, y-yes.” He clears his throat and begins to recite his carefully practiced speech. “Lord H4des, please hear my petition. I have no memories of my life up until a little over a year ago. I’ve seen many experts in the functions of the brain, but all of them have failed to retrieve my lost memories. I thought, since you do so much work with extracting information from brains, that you might succeed at what others could not accomplish.”

“You want me to root around in your brain and dig out the memories that have been buried.”

H4des interrupting him partway through his speech throws him off, and without thinking he returns to his casual way of speech. “Yeah, that’s the plan.”

H4des _hmm_ s.

Vang0 realises what he’d done and blanches, hastening to continue with the words he’d planned. “I do not yet have the money to repay you for your deeds, if you so choose to help me, but I swear that I’m a man of my word and will repay you before my life is over.”

Again, H4des _hmm_ s. They adjust their hat and appraise him. Vang0 resists the urge to shuffle his feet and draw his shoulders in like a small child about to be scolded by a teacher.

“So you don’t know, then?”

Vang0 blinks. “Huh?”

H4des grins. “You don’t know.”

This is not part of the plan. The plan is _H4des says yes or H4des says no_. This is uncharted territory. He has no idea where to go from here. He swallows and says, “Uh. No. I-I’m afraid I don’t know. Lord H4des.”

“Allow me to inform you, then.” H4des shifts to a more comfortable position on their throne. “You don’t need me to find your memories for you.”

Vang0 laughs nervously. “I-I don’t mean to insinuate that you’re wrong, but I can’t think of anyone else who would be able to—to uncover them. Like I said, I went to all the experts—”

“Nah.”

Hearing H4des speak so casually—and to him, no less, like they’re old pals—makes his brain stutter to a halt.

H4des uncrosses their legs and leans forward. “You have all the skill you need to solve your memory problem by yourself. What you _don’t_ have are the tools.” They pause to make sure Vang0’s following. “Here’s the deal: I’ve got an acquaintance who needs a job done. It requires someone with your level of wits, and it pays plenty nice enough for you to afford the equipment you need.”

“Wait—so—you’re saying no?”

“I’m saying you can do it yourself. I’m offering my help in the form of funds. Are _you_ saying no?”

No one turns down an offer of aid from an Olympian, even when it’s not aid as much as it is a death sentence. This doesn’t sound like a death sentence, but, well, he doesn’t know what the job is yet.

H4des raises an eyebrow impatiently, and Vang0 realises he hasn’t answered yet.

“No. Or—not no! I’m saying no to saying no. I—yes, I’m accepting your offer of help.”

If he didn’t know better, he would call the noise H4des makes a laugh. “Good choice. I’ll pass the message along.”

“Do I need… like, your acquaintance’s business card, or…?”

“She’ll come to you. Don’t try to seek her out.”

“Right.” That’s terrifying, but okay.

“You’re free to leave at your own leisure.”

 _At your own leisure_ clearly means _right now_. Vang0 nods and says, “Thank you. For your offer. I—thank you.”

The door opens and Vang0’s almost across the threshold when H4des says, “Vang0?”

“Yeah?”

“Good luck.”

Vang0 can’t tell if it’s sincere or not. He doesn't know which would be worse. “Thanks.”


End file.
